School is out and the Friends of the Barbara Rose Johns Farmville/Prince Edward Community Library are prepared for it. The Friends have purchased selected books from the Prince Edward County Public Schools 2019 Summer Reading Book List that will be placed in its five Little Free Libraries located in Darlington Heights, Meherrin, Prospect, Rice and Worsham. In addition to the summer reading list books, the Friends will be placing additional children’s picture books and chapter books in the Little Free Libraries all summer to encourage summer readers and help reduce “summer slide.”

Summer slide is the tendency for students to lose some of the gains made during the school year. Reading over the summer is one of the keys to preventing summer slide, so it’s important that we keep our Little Free Libraries stocked with books to appeal to a wide range of young readers. Books from the Summer Reading List will be tagged with bright labels that say “Summer Reading Book – Please Read and Return.” It’s important that these books are returned after reading to ensure access to these books to the largest number of readers.

The Friends encourage parents to visit the Farmville library this summer with their children to check out books and take advantage of the programs that the library will offer. When that’s not possible, they further encourage parents to make a stop by one of its Little Free Libraries to check out the reading selections waiting for them and their children.

For more information contact: Connie Seburn, little Free Library Committee Chair at libraryfriends1984@ gmail.com